Opinion

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“Sorry. I can’t come to bingo tonight. I’m melting down a wind turbine.”

44 thoughts on “Opinion”

The villages of Straiton, Kirkmichael and Crosshill are all going to be devastated if the proposed development of five wind farm sites, with up to 130 huge turbines, goes ahead.
If it were only the view of turbines people would probably get used to them in years to come.
But it’s not. It’s the noise that can continue day and night. The noise that can drain people of all will to live. Their homes are no longer the safe haven they should be, their homes that lose their value and become impossible to sell.
It’s the sun shadow flicker that make people no longer wish to spend time in their gardens and make people sit in their homes with their curtains closed.
It’s the continual transportation of cement and turbines breaking up roads not built to take such heavy vehicles. The roads that the local people use to take their children to school, travel to work, shopping, hospital etc. all aspects of everyday life.
Just a few weeks ago the residents of these three villages knew nothing of the planned wind farm developments. We were looking forward to spring. To get out walking and cycling again, to see the flowers and trees come into bud and to see the lambs appearing in the fields.
Local businesses have been getting ready to welcoming new visitors to the area and returning guests who have enjoyed our beautiful countryside and hospitality before. Many of those visitors come to here for the peace and quiet, a lifestyle that many can only dream of while battling along the motorways to work.
We are only a few, but many a battle has been won against all odds. We have been given an almost impossible task to try and fight these developers. We need to raise an incredible amount of money to fight these proposals. We need to seek out as much information as possible and we need to tell as many people as we can to gather support for our cause.

I can not believe this is happening to what I think is one of the most amazing places in South West Scotland…Can these people not see the economic destruction this will bring to local people…I have enjoyed my walks up there for over 40 years, and want to enjoy for another, telling my kids about the adventures of Bruce…So much for the dark skies area Mr Ayrshire Council….Shocking, we must unite to defeat this destruction of South Ayrshire countryside

I could not agree more. It beggars belief that they should even be thinking of placing over 400ft turbines so close, not only to individual homes, but to villages as well. The noise and shadow flicker disturbance is unacceptable. It is time wind farm developers told people the truth. And as you point out we need to inform as many people as possible of the facts.

If there are enough objectors – and I imagine there are thousands in Ayrshire alone – then this mad scheme can be stopped. Otherwise it will simply happen as it has elsewhere in this county and in many beautiful areas of Scotland, in spite of the all the sterling efforts of campaigns such as yours.

This is an insane, miserable, short sighted plan that cares nothing for the legacy we leave behind for our children. These huge turbines will totally ruin the entire area and will be idle for large amounts of time. Your web-site illustrates just how ugly this will be. And in one of the most beautiful valleys in Scotland!

There will be many local interests who stand to gain from the money generated – power companies, local land-owners, the local council and of course the Scottish government in its pursuit of its absurd 2020 renewables target. As for jobs, this brings little or no benefit at all. Wind farms run on their own – when they run. While the tourists will go elsewhere.

To think that in one of the few places in Ayrshire left unscathed by industrial pollution from last century, the home of Scotland’s most famous bard, we could possibly allow this to happen. These wind farms must stop. It’s time that the green power agenda is taken out to (far out) and under the sea where it belongs. And where there is a constant, reliable source of power.

If the Scottish Parliament insist on this scheme let them have them on their back door.

My husband and I would be termed incomers, having arrived in Straiton nearly 13 years ago. The house we bought was in a very poor state but, because we love this valley for its peace and beautiful scenery, we were happy to put our money, heart and soul into the renovations. There were many tears spilt when things didn’t go quite according to plan, like the kitchen ceiling collapsing when we were nearly finished. Because of the personal investment we made I feel that I want to preserve and protect the home and environment that we actively sought out, not ever wishing to live back in a town or city.
Around here I love the changing seasons, the abundance of birds and mammals, the tranquility. Even when we go abroad on holiday we always look forward to returning, driving around the corner and seeing Straiton and the hills behind. You have to go far to beat these views. I love them even when it rains.
Whether people have lived in this area for 13 years, 30 years, or for generations back, it doesn’t matter because everyone who lives here has Straiton and its valley in their heart.
I want not so much to fight (because that’s so draining), but to preserve. I want to continue waking up to bird song; watching the red squirrel cheekily eating most of the peanuts; witnessing crows dive bombing buzzards, and deer looking nonchalantly around as I call the local pheasant population to its breakfast, because they’re so used to us now.
If we’re not allowed to cite “loss of view” as the reason for challenging these wind farms, then can we argue loss of peace of mind, loss of silence, loss of calm in this madding world?

I do not live in or near Straiton but I am an active anti wind campaigner and I would like to offer my support for your efforts. If these 5 wind facilities were to be installed it would be an utter travesty and would ruin yet another beautiful part of Scotland. Neither the UK nor Scottish governments, in opinion, have a mandate to wreak the damage that they’re doing – and for what? Essentially what is happening is that our electricity bills are being taxed at an ever increasing level to line the pockets of greedy landowners and overseas wind developers/electricity suppliers. I will copy the response I, as an engineer, submitted to DECC during a recent “consultation” (I have used inverted commas as these activities are not true consultations but merely a way of making people feel they’ve been consulted!!). This summarises my beliefs on the subject of wind turbines

TO DECC (November 2012)
Dear Sir/Madam

I am writing to inform you of my strong objection to the UK continuing the destructive race towards covering our land and seas with ever more wind turbines – as an engineer wind turbines are a Luddite like abomination to me. They simply do not do what if claimed by the wind industry, and some of my reasons for my position are as follows:

o The electricity generated from wind is not dispatchable in that, unlike conventional generating stations, it cannot be relied upon to produce electricity when required – it is thus unreliable and intermittent – as indeed anything that is weather dependent is in the UK!

o This inherent unreliability and intermittency dictates the need for the operation of back up conventional generators – usually this back up is operating in the wholly inefficient “spinning reserve” mode – this inefficient mode of back up operation inevitably negates the claim that wind turbines reduce carbon emissions – see next para. To use output in the sense that 1MWh of wind displaces 1 MWh of fossil fueled generation is a fallacy – the appropriate analysis must compare the INPUT since in back up mode more input fuel is required than when the fossil fueled generator is operating in mainstream mode.

o A very arbitrary, non scientific and simplistic calculation to determine a nominal value for the carbon emission reduction from wind turbines is used by the industry – this alleged emission reduction is being questioned more and more in recent times and published in scientific reports – notably by Professor Gordon Hughes and Dr Fred Udo. In some operational modes, carbon emissions have been shown to have increased due to wind generation!

o The subsidies provided to wind operators are far too large and are causing ever more fuel poverty amongst electricity consumers. This effect is bad enough with the current predominance of onshore wind but with offshore subsidies being double that of onshore wind, the consumer impact will be huge when all the planned offshore turbines are built. And NO, there are no subsidies for fossil fueled power stations as claimed by the wind lobby – the number they claim is simply the benefit that ALL electricity generation systems (including wind) obtain through VAT being lower for domestic energy than the standard rate of 20%. This simply cannot be categorised as a subsidy in the same sense as wind subsidies via the ROC system

o Wind turbines cause health problems to people who have the misfortune to live close to them – this health issue is gaining more and more credibility as more and more studies are complete – the findings are totally at odds with the wind lobby who claim that there is no health impact

o Property values are significantly affected by the proximity of wind turbines – the evidence for this is becoming more and more prevalent despite the claims otherwise by the wind lobby.

o Ever more of our countryside is being ruined by the rampant increase in numbers of wind turbines – and this is starting to be reflected in the tourist industry where significant and increasing numbers of visitors say they will not visit areas covered with wind turbines – they can see that in their own countries. They come to the UK for our scenery and hitherto untrammelled vistas.

o In the rush to indulge in what I call “subsidy farming” wind turbines are starting to be built in the most inappropriate locations – where wind energy is low. Having covered most of the available mountains and hills, developers are now building on wholly inappropriate lowland areas with the resultant low capacity factors being obtained for their turbines – way below 20% in some cases.

o The design of the present electricity grid (National grid) is not capable of coping with significant (say much greater than 12%) of electricity generation from a highly variable source of generation such as wind – at all times generation must essentially equal demand as we have extremely limited storage capability (largely in pumped hydro). Hence the risk of power failures increases with increasing use of intermittent and often unpredictable wind generation.

o Other countries have learned many of the lessons cited above and have cut back or even curtailed their wind generation policies – for many reasons – too expensive, too unreliable, little, if any, emission reduction impact and impact on grid reliability. For the wind lobby to claim that our economic growth is contingent on ever more wind turbines is totally lacking in foresight and totally irresponsibility – high energy dependent industry simply cannot afford to pay the resultant high prices (associated with what is essentially a total duplication of generating facilities) and will inevitably leave our shores to countries where electricity is cheaper – this has happened already to aluminium and steel manufacturing. The renewable industry often shouts about the huge “UK” investments being made but do not tell the full story – namely that virtually ALL the high value components of a wind turbine come from overseas – such as Germany, Denmark, USA and China. This is a huge drain on our economy.

These are but a few of my reasons for my strong objection to large scale wind electricity generation but I would conclude by asking the question: How can it possibly make any sense for an industrial country such as the UK to base much of its future electricity generation on a weather dependent means of generation? The development of a UK wide electricity grid was one of the main features which enabled us to develop our industrial base as quickly and efficiently as we did – to have that jeopardised, as it surely will be, and ultimately ruined by the inevitable power failures is an utter travesty, which will inevitably reduce us to third world status.

I rest my case!!

I wish you well in your campaign and am prepared to help with, for example, lodging objections and whatever else I can to to help.

Thank you for copying in your letter, I suspect it will be a great deal of help to many of us in writing ours. This will be a long and drawn out campaign and any short cuts are greatly appreciated, thank you. I hope that you have been successful in any lobbying you have undertaken.
Whirly

Thanks for your kind and supportive comment, Whirly! I am prepared to do anything that I can do to stop this ruination of our countryside by useless and expensive wind turbines. Lobbying is a bit of a hit and a miss with politicians – who are apparently omniscient and know better than any of the rest of us. That said, I believe that by persistence, I have managed to influence at least a couple of them!!

I used to live in Pinwherry when the Breaker Hill windfarm was in for planning on hill behind my house. That campaign got over 500 signatures I believe and a sizeable objection was the presence of Red Squirrel communities. Planning in that instance was turned down but due to the number of turbines it was a local South Ayrshire decision. The larger projects are approved by the Scottish government which is ridiculous as they don’t seem to take into account the local communities, tourism, income, house prices etc., etc.
The local job gains are nominal and only for the period of construction. All the windfarms in the valley at Pinwherry were constructed by foreign firms with little local employment.

Scotland gets more than enough subsidies from England so it is about time you faced up to your responsibilities as a partner in the UK.

The sacrifice of a few nice views over the hills is the price you have to pay for these subsidies. Either that or our cities will be plunged into darkness. South West Scotland is the logical choice for building these windfarms as it the closest part of Scotland to the population densities of Manchester and Liverpool and the National Grid infrastructure is therefore easier to install.

Wind turbines are not a reliable source of electricity so some kind of back-up power is required. This is currently provided by coal, gas and hydro power stations as well as nuclear. The article you link to in the Guardian does not advocate wind farms as a viable alternative. To make up the shortfall we would need to virtually cover the whole of the UK in turbines as, on-shore, they are only about 25% efficient. It is not just a question of sacrificing “a few nice views over the hills”, which, incidentally has sadly already been done is lots of places. According to research done by five universities across the UK, turbines located in Scotland have almost as much capacity as England, Wales and Northern Ireland combined. And when the approved ones are built, will have more.
Just looking at a map I can see the Lake District is, in fact, much closer to Manchester and Liverpool than south-west Scotland which is actually quite far away. Naturally I would not want to see a beautiful area like that blighted by turbines.

Michael. You seem to believe that our energy generation will be either wind turbines or nuclear? Not so – we also have coal, gas and hydro. And thank goodness!! In case you’re not aware, wind turbines don’t work when the wind is not blowing – during the recent nice weather associated with high pressure over the entire UK, the entire “stable” of wind turbines rarely produced more than 500MW – out of a measured total capacity of 7300MW (in fact on one day, the wind output was below 30MW). Hardly reliable? If we had to depend on wind, we’d be in darkness quite often!! The oft used argument that wind will always be blowing somewhere in the UK is a total fallacy – as the above numbers demonstrate. What any sensible country needs is an energy mix – e.g. nuclear for base load (24 hour demand) and a combination of clean coal, gas, hydro and wind. However, as the UK will soon find out, wind can only be accommodated on the grid up to a certain level (probably around 15%) before the often rapid variation (in wind speeds) causes grid instability.
Your comment about “sacrificing a few nice views” suggests a degree of ignorance as to what is actually happening with onshore wind in Scotland. Many of our “nice views” have already been “sacrificed” and there is a Scotland wide assault by wind developers to cover the rest of the views (and much else besides) with wind factories! Literally, thousands more are in various stages of planning (and construction).
If you really want to inform yourself about this issue and indulge in a meaningful debate, I would suggest that the Guardian would not be the best source of information!

I think you need to do some better research before you come in citing the Guardian. The other replies have summed up the point I was going to make quite nicely between them, but I would like to add that hydro, wave, and tidal energy sources are all far more reliable and long lasting than wind if only the money were invested in those areas (particularly tidal). We have barely scratched the surface using the sea for power and already yield better results than wind, yet large power companies and Alex Salmond are unwilling to put further money to this as they make such a cosy profit from existing windfarms, (not to mention how good it looks on their resume) despite their inefficiency.

How about photovoltaic tiles on every government and council building in cities and towns? I believe they continue to work even on dull days, unlike turbines which need a particular kind of wind to reach their optimum performance.

Re Michael Chambry’s comments earlier – I think he needs to re-read Melanie Dickson’s opinion on 4th March, which is shared by many who live under the threat of wind farms, both in England and Scotland. Other constructed sites have fragmented local rural communities and those communities have failed to thrive as a result. It may not matter to Michael that these rural communities might die, but we do not all choose to live in towns and cities. Nor do we have to be Scottish to battle against the devastation of wind farms – I am English born and bred but I chose to live in Straiton and I disagree 100% about what the wind companies are proposing here.

On Wednesday my husband & I visited Whitelee Windfarm. I have a few thoughts I would like to share with you.

I was surprised how busy the Visitor Centre at Whitelee was, probably around 100 people were there on what was a cold, grey weekday. There were people in the cafe, in the exhibition room and parties out on the site standing and walking around the turbines. There were also a number of cyclists using the laid out trails, and while we were there a party of school children arrived.
We then visited the exhibition. Along with the usual displays there are working models where you can guess which turbines placed at different heights would produce the most power. Another lets you choose a turbine with different number and shape rotor blades to find the same answer. One can learn all the components of a wind turbine and how electricity is generated, and all this with pictures on the wall of wildlife that you may see if you walk out on the wind farm..

All this added up to the perfect picture that Scottish Power Renewables have worked hard to achieve.

From the cafe you can stand and watch the turbines gently, silently turning. A notice on the wall told us there were over 140 turbines 110 metres high and 40 turbines at a height of 140 metres.

I asked one of the Centre guides which were the 140 metre turbines. She replied: “You can’t see those ones, they are over the hill and I am not sure they are working yet”.
I explained why I was interested in judging the height and that our villages are going to be surrounded by turbines of that height less than 2km from our homes. The guide’s reply was: “They hardly make any noise you know”. I then told her that the sound is often not heard when you stand under them, and the subject of shadow flicker seemed to mean nothing to her.

Now a few facts that Scottish Power Renewables probably would not be quite so keen to share. On Wednesday (which was quite windy) most of the turbines were turning and a gauge in the exhibition Centre read that only 12% of the possible output from the farm was being generated at that time. From the car park a definite ‘aircraft like’ repetitive rumbling ‘whoar’ noise could be heard.

Whitelee is a completely different environment to Straiton. There appears to be hardly any homes near Whitelee (certainly no villages) – it is vast open moorland where most of the turbines are sited. Some are also placed within forestry with the surrounding area cleared. Many people think wind farms do not make any noise, but I can assure you they definitely do. One thing to consider is that topography can make a huge difference. As far as i understand it, plains disperse sound more efficiently and hills, valleys and buildings can exacerbate the problem.

How could anyone think a ‘Whitelee’ could be fitted around and between the villages of Straiton and Kirkmichael?

I would strongly advise anyone – whether they are for or against wind farms – to take a trip to Whitelee. Stand in the Visitor Centre, then imagine the view of the wind farm placed behind Fowlers Croft, the football pitch or Straiton churchyard. Remember that the turbines proposed for Straiton would be almost 25% higher than the ones you can see. Before you get back into your car stand and listen to the turbines – imagine hearing that sound day and night for the next twenty five years. It’s a chance to look into your future.

You beat us to it, Carol – my husband and I were thinking of doing the same thing, visiting Whitelee, but haven’t got around to it yet. What you have reported is certainly interesting and relevant to our cause. I think what needs to be remembered too is that the sound that CAN’T be heard by the human ear (i.e. low frequency) is still registered by the brain and can cause upsetting side effects. It’s something the wind companies don’t even seem to consider. You are right about the boosting of sound in valleys – we live outside Straiton in the very valley where the majority of the proposed wind farms are to be sited. If a farmer is in his quad up the hill we can hear that very clearly, as we can laughter and voices from visitors staying at Balbeg when they’re outside. None of which are sounds we object to, however, and they are infinitely preferable to the sound of wind turbines!

Responding to Mike Peddle’s claims (above) about the government not investing in tidal or carbon capture – and then indulging in an SNP type whinge about the deficiencies of Westminster. I don’t see why any government should be in the electricity generating business as this post seems to imply. By all means governments should support technology development – and they have done so in the fields of tidal power and CCS. On tidal, it’s now up to the commercial decision of electricty companies. Re CCS, this is highly unlikely to ever happen – too expensive and inefficient!

Carbon Capture Technology is a long term development and the private sector is unlikely to invest in such technologies when they answer to shareholders looking for short term profits. That is just the nature of industry and why Governments have a role in the development of new technologies (would we currently have such advanced satellite technologies without Government investment?). The US & Germany are leading the way with Carbon Capture and Utilisation technology and see it as another way to convert the peaks and troughs of Green Energy into other fuels with more reliable energy delivery. Don’t beleive me gmlindsay?… of course you don’t… but you can read more for yourself here: http://environmentalnewsworldwide.wordpress.com/2011/07/27/carbon-capture-and-utilisation-could-contribute-in-green-economy/

Mike. I do admire your optimism but, as a pragmatic engineer, it makes absolutely no sense, economically or otherwise, to take CO2 from the exhaust gases of power stations and stuff it back into the ground. Firstly, the reduction in efficiency (of around 20 to 25%) would require additional generating capacity to be built to meet the same output – this would also emit additional CO2. Then, there’s the cost of the high pressure pumps required to liquidise the CO2 – if it’s not liquidised, then the volume required would be prohibitive (nay even impossible!).
Then we have to ask ourselves WHY? When India, China and now Germany are building ever more coal fired power stations, why should we beggar our economy for no overall, worldwide benefit?
Then, finally – after the weather we’re experiencing, would not a little global warming be welcome?

And speaking as a Physicist (yes really, Graduated from Glasgow Uni in 1989) the opportunity lies not with pumoing it under ground, but in converting it into other marketable substances. Did you read the article, are you aware of the research taking place? If you can make a marketable substance from the waste by product of burning fossils fuels you will find that India, China etc will be very happy to utilise your technology.

I cannot possible see what can be done with a molecule of CO2 – to separate it into C and O2 would require as much energy as was produced when the original C was burned (oxidised) to CO2. Now here’s a suggestion – why not use it for photosynthesis? After all we would not have “our green and pleasant land” if it were not for CO2. I’ve seen it argued that due to the increase in atmospheric CO2 our world is becoming greener – now, that can’t be bad, can it? That’s is a sane and credible proposition. What is insane is the recent machinations of the global warming brigade. They have apparently accepted that there has been no GW for almost 2 decades hence the re-incarnation of their theory as “Climate change” (whatever that means – the climate is always changing!). We even had the retiring chief scientist claiming that “climate change can result in hotter and colder conditions and can cause droughts and flooding” – that should cover all bases!! It almost sounds like tautology – climate change can cause climate change! The latest wheeze by the GW theorists is to claim that the additional CO2 in the atmosphere (an additional 30 or so parts per million) has caused the Jet Stream to move Southwards resulting in the current cold blast from the East – hence our current cold phase. Surely no sane person can believe that such an increase in atmospheric CO2 (which is tiny to start with) can cause such a change. Leave the CO2 alone and let’s get on with serious issues facing us now – like ensuring security of our energy supply!!

It’s interesting to read our commenters locking horns on global warming and the science behind it. Many thanks to our feisty debaters, and we hope you will continue to write in with your views – on Straiton’s proposed wind farms in particular. But just to remind you that SaveStraitonforScotland’s campaign is not against wind energy in principle, nor do we favour any particular political party. Amongst our supporters we have many different views on alternative energy, on global warming, and on politics! The science of global warming is too big for this website: if you google “Global warming forum” you will find many a site which will enable you to carry on the argument as long as you wish! Good luck!

A letter received by Campaign Chair Bill Steven, and published here by permission.

Subject: Resistance to Wind Farms
Sir. I was given one of your business cards by my Grand daughter who is at Edinburgh university and is well aware of my dislike of windmills and their impact.

I live in Tain, in the North, and I have every sympathy with your cause. I know your area and have passed through it many times when I worked in the Dumfries/Galloway/Ayrshire locus and well remember the rural nature and the lovely rolling agricultural countryside. The prospect of planting ANY massive monstrosities in such a location not only defies logic but imposes such a negative image on local and visitor alike.

I have so much sympathy for you all in Straiton. In the North, we have had so many Wind Farms imposed on us in really wild areas to the detriment of the beautiful, peaceful and silent hills and glens without taking any notice of local people’s opinion. Sadly, some communities have been lured and indeed split by promises of “funds”, to be spent as the behest of ad hoc committees – a certain area of conflict.

Personally, I’ve been against Wind as a National Power source since conception. As an Engineer, I initially challenged the 25 year predicted life and then the frequency of maintenance visits allied to the difficult access to the “business end” – the pod perched on the massive column! Already, exhausted engineers reaching the top of 200 metre towers have suffered dis-orientation and even movement sickness, likened to sea sickness. The complicated mechanical and electronic equipment in the pod will require no small amount of maintenance. The growing lobby for Offshore Wind Power seems to completely ignore the access difficulties and attendant inflated costs – helicopter travel to and from!

Next is the intermittent nature of the power output which has been much discussed and needs no further comment other than to say the word “Backup”! Involuntary payment by consumers in their household power bills to operators is contentious, marginally political and resented by most.

Last but not least the horrendous scars and visual impact on our wonderful countryside. Access roads to allow delivery of the huge tubulars have been created across virgin hill and moor as well as the necessity to straighten many single track, remote roads bypassing so many old stone bridges. There are also the huge concrete foundations which will without doubt be left where they are as and when the top-hamper is removed. This is bound to affect the peat land where units are usually sited.

All this is unacceptable to most of the rural population and yet, more and more applications and planning proposals are coming forward, many of these applications from foreign companies. We even import the majority of the equipment installed, failing to exploit the major manufacturing opportunities. This completes the whole farcical situation we find ourselves in.

As our tourist industry gears up to generate new business across the world with the American numbers increasing already, one wonders if those granting permission for the erection are on the right wavelength. It appears that they are actually intent in desecrating the land
and upsetting the populous while investing huge sums in a technology which is less than effective and I believe little understood by many of them.

May your fight succeed where we have failed. May I add that the current Scottish Government efforts to “reduce Scotland’s Carbon emission” by spreading the windmill message is very gradually being demolished as more “anti” than “pro” media coverage is evident. Let us hope your campaign coincides and indeed rides on the back of such a slide.

I shall watch your excellent website with interest and very much hope for your success.

A huge thank you to everyone who organised the Straiton Stroll and barbecue. The food was delicious and there was a good turn out, we thought. And it was nice to catch up with people we don’t see very often.

It’s the same old same old – job prospects and a boost to the local economy – are people really buying into that propoganda even now? There may well be 70+ people working on the site of the wind farm (sorry, factory), but you can bet your bottom dollar most of those will NOTbe locals, or even from the UK.

Good luck in your quest. So many arguments in this comments are oft repeated around the country and no worse for it. The issue on photomontages is an old chestnut which despite masses of evidence is routinely kicked into the long grass by Energy Consents, although less now by the DPEA Reporters. Tourism though is still a dead end. World wide there is masses of evidence but even the reporters routinely ignore the evidence. In a period of economic malaise it is often difficult to prove cause and effect. Evidence is dismissed as anecdotal. A recent report has not seen the light of day. I wonder why!

The planned wind farms at Shawpark near Stow and Brunta Hill near Westruther (with a total of 17 turbines) was initially rejected by Scottish Borders Council. PNE Wind UK, as expected, declined to accept this ruling and raised an appeal knowing that the odds were in their favour as, historically, most appeals have been upheld.

This time, however, the result of the Scottish Government reporter’s examination has been the ruling that the plans for both schemes have been turned down.

Councillors refused the Brunta Hill development due to its “significant and unacceptable” impact on the area and, fortunately, the Scottish Government has agreed the wind farm locations were inconsistent with the local development plan.

Commenting on behalf of PNE Wind UK, Gemma Hamilton project development manager, said the company was “extremely disappointed” by the decision.

At least this section of the Borders can still lay claim to having the Southern Upland Way as a tourist attraction…………… Rather than the Southern Turbine Way that exists to the west. I am very happy to see that these wind farms have been refused along with the other recent refusals in the Borders but I have to ask why there have been no successes of this kind in Dumfries and Galloway. Is it that D&G are too far away from Edinburgh and not on any of the scenic access routes to the capitol? Answers on a postcard please………………….

Hi Everyone. The video on the Scotland Against Spin website is by Dr Rachel Conner, one of the founder members of POW – Protect Our Water Group. We will have a website up soon and will be leafleting all around Scotland with our objections based on the evidence we have garnered that turbines are polluting our water- both public and private water supplies. You may have seen articles recently in the Sunday Times and Sunday Mail about our investigations. Just last month we made a 40 page submission to ‘The Reporters’ who will decide on the fate of Whitelee Extention 3- to our knowledge the first time the erection of turbines have been objected to anywhere in the world, on the basis of water pollution.

Just went out for a walk with the dogs on the moor behind our house on a beautiful summers morning. The first time I have been up the back for a while on a clear morning.
What an absolute disgrace to see the turbines to the left of the monument. What was a beautiful skyline ruined by these monstrosities. What numpty in planning thought it was ok to allow this to happen?
Really sad.

Fergus Ewing approved this despite South and East Ayrshire Councils objections (East Ayrshire was put under extreme pressure to withdraw their application for a Judicial Review as it could have left them open to damages). Approval was announced on the same day the Commonwealth Games opened in Glasgow ensuring there was no publicity. When Councils object a Public Inquiry is held, but Scottish Ministers decided to permit this development without one despite receiving over 4,700 public objections. It is absolute disgrace.

Pretty gobsmacked that those turbines are situated at Dershalloch, when so immediately visible from my property and various points going into Straiton. All the more reason to stop the ones on our doorstep. Hopefully this wil bring to light how devastating they are to the Landscape as distance doesn’t seem to diminish the size of the turbines. Shocking that this allowed to happen. Makes me really angry.